One of the regions foremost experts on Native American art will speak Saturday at the Bainbridge Library.

Retired University of Washington art history and anthropology professor Bill Holm will discuss his most recent book Sundogs and Eagle Down: the Indian Paintings of Bill Holm, a collection depicting traditional native scenes, produced from the 1950s to the present.

Holms paintings are known for their ethnographic detail, including depictions of eagle down feathers scattered by the Kwakiutl tribe to welcome guests and sun dogs  bright spots near the sun  that are mentioned in many northern tribe myths.

Although not Native American himself, Holms interest in Indian art began early in life. Holm was born in Montana in 1925 and moved to Seattle as a teenager.

He earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the UW and taught art in Seattle public schools for 15 years. His first book, Northwest Coast Indian Art: an Analysis of Form led to a stint as curator of Northwest native art at the Burke Museum. Holm continued to publish books and lecture worldwide, retiring from the university in 1985.

He focuses his time now on painting the cultures that have been his lifelong focus.

Bill Holm will speak Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Bainbridge Library as part of the Bainbridge Library Speakers Forum. Tickets are $10. For more information, call 842-4156.

 Tristan Baurick

Ferry fare meeting set

Washington State Ferries wants to hear what island residents think of plans to increase general fares by 5 percent starting this year.

WSF will host public forums on the new tariff proposal and other changes throughout the county this month, with the Bainbridge meeting set for Feb. 17.

Change is always difficult, said Traci Brewer-Rogstad, WSFs assistant operations director. As with any change, rumors abound. Some are true but many are false. Its our responsibility as an organization to help people understand the new tariff proposal.

Besides the general fare increase, WSF plans to raise the youth fare age from five to six years old. The youth fare change would align WSFs policies with other regional transit operators, WSF representatives said.

WSF proposes a new 50 percent reduced fare for recreational vehicles and buses traveling from Anacortes to Sidney, British Columbia. The reduced fare would make the route more competitive with other ferries traveling to Victoria, WSF representatives said.

WSF also plans to implement a new electronic fare collection system by this fall. The new system would replace coupon books and passes with a scan card.

This new system is a replacement for the current point-of-sale system, so that WSF can continue to reliably collect and report fare revenue, Brewer-Rogstad said.

The card would allow 10 rides in 30 days for a 20 percent discount or five round trips in 60 days at a 15 percent discount.

The card would also make it more difficult to share tickets with friends and family.

With the card, it is a bit more difficult to share, which is why the convenience card, with slightly less of a discount, was part of the proposal, Brewer-Rogstad said, adding that the riders who find it hard to use ten trips in 30 days can opt to travel five times in 60 days while earning a smaller discount.

The Bainbridge Island meeting will be held at the Bainbridge Terminal on Thursday, February 17 from 4-7 p.m.

 Tristan Baurick

Kindergarten prices climb

The cost of sending a child to full-time kindergarten in the Bainbridge Island School District will increase 2 percent to $2,700 for the 2005-06 school year.

The Bainbridge school board approved the increase in January, based on anticipated increases in salaries and benefits, materials, and insurance. District officials said the increase in comparable to other school districts.

The district will continue to offer financial assistance in the form of scholarships to a limited number of applicants, using guidelines similar to those for the federal free- and reduced-price lunch programs.

Parents who will be sending kindergartners to school in the fall will receive materials in the mail inviting them to a parent orientation meeting Feb. 9.

 Rhonda Parks Manville

Parents, read with your kids

Imagine Bainbridge has chosen the book, Doing School: How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Materialistic and Miseducated Students, for the winter 2005 community-wide book club selection.

The book may provide insights into the stress that some Bainbridge teens say they experience, said Imagine Bainbridge founders Sally Kidder Davis and Billie Taylor.

They tell us they are over the top with stress and that they dont have time anymore for the things they love, the founders said. Our goal is to have all of Bainbridge talking about this book.

A panel discussion on stress and adolescents, related to the book topic, will be held at 2 p.m. Mar. 6 in the Bainbridge Library conference room. For information, call 842-6631 or 780-0104.

Written by veteran teacher and researcher Denise Clark Pope, the book reveals a troubling view of high school students and the ways they pursue high grades and success. It details Popes observations, as she follows five high achieving students through a school year, and discovers that they believe getting ahead requires manipulating the system, scheming, lying and cheating.

Unitarians change name

The Unitarians in these parts have changed  and significantly shortened  the name of their congregation.

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap has become Cedars Unitarian Universalist Church.

The change came about for two reasons, said Jeff Philip, a Suquamish resident and president of the churchs board. The most important is that the old name no longer reflects the make up of our congregation. Our members come from all over North Kitsap and Silverdale.

The second, and perhaps more obvious reason for the name change?

It was such a mouthful. In press releases, the name alone took half a paragraph, he noted.

The church has doubled in size to 150 members in just three years, which necessitated the addition of another service. The minister is the Rev. Drew Johnston, who came aboard two years ago.

There is no real secret to Unitarian Universalism, Johnston said. We simply offer a place to explore and discover your own beliefs. Because we are not limited to one right answer, we are busily making room for people who each bring a part of the truth with them. It is exciting to learn from each other. All people of good will are welcome.

The congregation meets Sundays at 9:30 and 11:15 a.m. at Hyla Middle School. Religious education is offered for children of all ages. Call 780-0373.

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